Giving Thanks on the Beach: Celebrating Thanksgiving on the Island

November 20, 2012

It’s that time of year again, when families gather for the holiday season to celebrate their lives together, celebrate crowning achievements made over the last year and to celebrate their love for one another.
While many choose to have a quiet, sit-down dinner at home Thanksgiving afternoon or evening, several others enjoy going out, being served and not having to clean the table or scrub pots and pans afterward.
For those of you looking to savor a hot Thanksgiving meal while out on the town of Fort Myers Beach Thursday, please consider the following restaurants for your Turkey Day enjoyment.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Nervous Nellie’s
1131 1st St., 463-8077
Nervous Nellie’s will be serving Thanksgiving meals with all the trimmings this year, since there was such a high demand for it after last year’s celebration, and will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m for dining.
Enjoy generous helpings of oven-roasted turkey, Black Forest honey-roasted ham, pork loin, fire-roasted prime rib, steak or fresh seafood dishes, such as seafood scampi, Maine lobster, or jumbo scallops and shrimp.
For sides, enjoy all the fixins, including hot gravy, cranberry sauce, seasoned vegetables, oven-roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, turkey stuffing, sweet potato casserole and so many more.
Prices generally range from $16 to $29.
Nervous Nellie’s can seat 550 at a time, and reservations are highly suggested Thanksgiving Day. As seats are filling up quickly, there are more seats available between 1 and 2 p.m., as 5 p.m. reservations are getting pretty tight.
Ugly’s upstairs will be open all night long, offering happy hour prices throughout the day and evening hours. Enjoy live music from The Oysters inside, from 6 to 10 p.m., and Mike Glean outside, also from 6 to 10 p.m.
The Lani Kai
1400 Estero Blvd., 463-3111
The Lani Kai will be offering its annual Thanksgiving Day buffet, upstairs at the Island View Lounge, between noon and 7 p.m. Thursday.
For $14 ($7 for children 12 and under), enjoy all-you-can-eat roast turkey with stuffing, honey-glazed ham, roast beef with gravy and baked ziti with marinara sauce, along with mashed potatoes, baked garlic green beans, cranberries, saffron rice, pasta salad, tossed green salad, coleslaw, rolls and butter and hot apple pie.
Reservations are suggested. Seating between 4:30 and 6 p.m. is already pretty full. Any time before or after then may be a bit quicker for you and your party to enjoy. Once packed to the brim, head downstairs for live music and a fun, lively atmosphere.
The Yucatan Beach Stand
250 Old San Carlos Blvd., 333-4FUN
The Yucatan Beach Stand will be hosting a traditional Thanksgiving spread all day Thursday, starting at noon, until the turkey is all gone, and will include all of the trimmings, from mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans to garlic bread and cranberry sauce – all for $12.95.
For $16.95, Thanksgiving Day diners may enjoy a prime rib dinner with two sides, breadsticks and a side salad.
Reservations are not necessary, and walk-ins are welcome.
Parrot Key Caribbean Grill
2500 Main St., 463-3257
Parrot Key is offering a three-course traditional Thanksgiving course “island style,” and allows diners to select from oven-roasted turkey with homemade gravy (your choice of white or dark meat) or pan-seared duck breast with marsala mushroom demi-glaze, with the selection of three accompaniments, which may be sweet potato mash, whipped potatoes with turkey gravy, homemade turkey stuffing, garlic sauteed green beans and grilled asparagus.
For dessert, savor the flavor of the restaurant’s homemade pumpkin pie topped with hand-whipped cinnamon whipped cream.
All of this decadence can be enjoyed for $21.95. The restaurant will be open between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., and its regular menu will be available for diners, as well. Reservations are recommended.
The Sandbar and Grill
7205 Estero Blvd., 463-5544
The Sandbar and Grill will be offering fantastic turkey and ham specials all day long Thanksgiving Day, open regular hours, from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Enjoy savory turkey and ham dinners with all the fixins, including French-cut green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, and rolls, along with happy hour from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., which will include $3.25 wells, $3.50 house wines, and $2.75 domestic bottles and 16-ounce pint drafts. All day, domestic pitchers will be available for $7.50.
Reservations are welcomed but not necessary, and other lunch and dinner specials will be offered that day, as well.

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Where are YOU celebrating this Thanksgiving holiday? Feel free to email your celebration photos to mschneider@breezenewspapers.com or rpetcher@breezenewspapers.com!